05 May 2016
Take two top-class strikers like Paulo Dybala and Simone Zaza, a host of nostalgic stories and a pitch full of enthusiastic youngsters and you have the perfect recipe for a fun-filled Wednesday evening.
Guests of Official Partner Balocco, the strike pairing headed to J-Academy affiliate Fossano Calcio yesterday to set up a once in a lifetime meeting with the young hopefuls and share a wistful tale or two from their own sporting childhoods.
Amidst the high fives and photo shoots, Paulo and Simone took a moment to reminisce with the Jtv cameras, the key quotes from which are in full below:
Simone
“The best footballing memory I have from my youth is probably when I used to play at home with my friends. We would all just chase the ball and have a laugh even if we were five or six years old at the time.
“I don’t remember my first goal but I know that I scored plenty as a youngster! I had the advantage of being just that little bit faster and having the power to shoot from further out than the others could.
“There’s nothing quite like football at that age. My advice to any kid who dreams of being a professional is to just enjoy the game, give it your all and see where it takes you.”
Paulo
“Like Simone I’d say the main thing is to have fun on the field because once you reach the first team there are other things to consider besides that and it becomes a different experience altogether.
“I see myself in the youngsters here tonight; playing all over the pitch in whatever position, smiling, enjoying football with friends, it’s bringing back some great memories for me!
“I did everything with my football mates and that made linking up on the pitch that much more fun and easy.”
